From: Mark Turner (nugroove_at_pacbell.net)
Date: 2003-04-11 17:16:26
Hi all,
A quick heads-up that I'll be spinning again on KFJC-FM tomorrow (Saturday
4/12/03), filling in for DJ Trinity on Rucker Park, from Noon-3pm Pacific
Time. That's 89.7 FM in the San Francisco
Bay Area, and www.kfjc.org for those on the weird wild web. Hope you can
tune in. And if you
do, chances are very high that you'll hear some of these tunes...
FIFTEEN BIG ONES FOR APRIL
1. DJ Cam - "Summer in Paris" (Koch)
Cam's SOULSHINE album is really all about this stunning opener: a breezy bit
of Parisian house with some tres sensuelle vocals from a lady named Anggun.
Fans of St. Germain should check this one out, toot sweet!
2. DJ Format - MUSIC FOR THE MATURE B-BOY (Genuine)
"Mature" b-boys will no doubt have a soft spot for the old school hip hop
vibe that predominates on DJ Format's debut album. With vocal help from
Aspects, Abdominal, Fatski, and members of Jurassic 5, Format jumps right
into the top echelon of DJ/producers like Shadow, Cut Chemist, and RJD2.
It's that good!
3. Izzi Dunn - "Fire" Remixes (FireWorx)
Bursting onto the West London scene last year with vocals for Kaidi Tatham's
anthem, "Betcha' Did," Izzi Dunn follows up with another broken beat monster
on her new label, FireWorx. I'd rate Agent K's original mix as best of the
bunch, but for alternative states of mind, you get reworks from Afronaught,
Unsung Heroes, and Restless Soul. Quality stuff all around.
4. Ernesto's - "Portuguese Nights" (Hollow)
Straight outta "Gonkyburg" (aka Gothenburg, Sweden) comes Ernesto's, with a
couple of sweet and soulful vocal tracks. The A-side is more electronic,
while the B-side offers up some soothing, Brazilian vibes. This label just
gets better and better.
5. Fragile State - THE FACTS AND THE DREAMS (Bar de Lune)
A spinoff project from members of the Zero 7 live band, this album explores
the same melodic, downtempo territory on a collection of lush and lovely
instrumentals. Coming soon to a clothing store near you.
6. LCD Soundsystem - "Losing My Edge" (DFA)
The DFA lightning bolt strikes again, with a "been there/done that" tale of
musical oneupsmanship, with vocals sounding vaguely reminiscent of Mark E.
Smith. The spoken narrative's accompanied by some lo-fi, Casio-type beats
that start out very simply but slowly become more prominent, until finally
breaking into a real groove (and vocal chorus) near the end of the track. It
could've been a one joke record, but the DFA crew know just how to keep
things interesting.
7. Metro Area - "Orange Alert (DFA Remix)" (Source UK)
Tech-house maestros Metro Area get the DFA treatment and wind up sounding
like an instrumental mashup of the B-52's, Bush Tetras, and ESG. Edgy dance
music for edgy times.
8. Nostalgia 77 - "The Goat/The Messenger" (Tru Thoughts)
Anything dropping from the Brighton-based Tru Thoughts label is worth a spin
these days, and this new 7" is no exception. Two funky instrumental
breakbeat workouts, with the B-side gaining my favor for airplay. Sounds
like the Beatles locked in a closet with James Chance.
9. The Rootsman Meets Dayjah - "The Terrorist" (Third Eye Music)
An earnest political statement with a righteous, skanking groove. Who really
is the terrorist?
10. Various Artists - COSMIC SOUNDS REMIXED (Cosmic Sounds)
Top-flight remixers tackle the Cosmic Sounds back catalog with unanimous
success. Personal favorites include "Cubano Chant" as remixed by Ennio
Styles, plus some Arkestra One reworks from Gak Sato and Crate Soul
Brothers. Volume 2 coming soon!
11. Various Artists - DANCE TO THE UNDERGROUND (Muzik free CD)
In case you haven't figured it out by now, DFA productions are tha shizzle
on tha frazizzle. And until the promised DFA compilation arrives, I'll be
bumpin' this live mix, a recent cover-mount CD from Muzik magazine. Muzik
calls this a selection of "disco punk," but don't let that genre label scare
you off. It's simply exhilarating dance music.
12. Various Artists - IMPACT! (Soul Jazz)
Another masterful reggae compilation from the folks at Soul Jazz. Having
released something like a dozen albums (and DVD!) documenting the output of
the legendary Studio One, they now turn attentions to Randy's studio at 17
North Parade, Kingston, with their Randy's and Impact labels. Hortense Ellis
kicks things off with a stunning cover of Marlena Shaw's "Woman of the
Ghetto," and the soulful pressure continues throughout, with vocal and
instrumental tracks featuring such heavy hitters as Augustus Pablo, Jackie
Mittoo, Tommy McCook, and more. With any luck, this will be just the first
in a long-running new series from Soul Jazz.
13. Various Artists - IMPRESSED WITH GILLES PETERSON (Universal UK)
Our man Gilles really outdoes himself this time, with a deep and vital
overview of the 60s/70s British jazz scene. The high quality of the music is
matched by the equally thorough liner notes, detailing the careers of
Michael Garrick, Joe Harriott, Ian Carr, and more. Impressed? Very!
14. Various Artists - FUTURE SOUNDS OF JAZZ 9 (JCR)
The long-running Compost series shows no signs of slowing down with this
ninth configuration of tunes, about half of which are previously unreleased.
Veering more toward the electronic side than previous volumes, tracks from
newcomers like Hird, Stateless, Foremost Poets, and Alexander Kowalski prove
that there's still value in Compost's musical cross-fertilization.
15. Various Artists - PLAYLIST (Jazzanova-Compost)
Sure, all the tracks have been previously released. But don't let that deter
you from checking out this compilation because EVERY SINGLE TRACK is a
killah, and you need 'em all! It practically goes with saying that the
members of Jazzanova have impeccable taste, but this overview of their
label's output certainly proves that, with one of the best compilations of
the year.
That's all for now! Keep on groovin'...
-- Mark Turner/DJ Rocky Rococo nugroove_at_pacbell.net www.jazzadelica.com